Improvement in button-hole sewing-machines



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F. SIMMONS. Buttbn-Hole Sewing-Machine.

N 16,902. Patented June 24,1879.

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Button-Hole Sewing-Machine. I No. 216,902 Patented June 24,1819.

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Button-Hole Sewing-Matching. No. 216,902. Patented June 24,1879.

ETER ERWI FREDERICK SIMMONS, OF WEBBER STREET, BLAOKFBIARS ROAD, ooonrv OF SURREY, ENGLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN BUTTON-HOLE SEWING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 216,902, dated June 24, 1879 application filed September 24, 1878. I

To all whom it may concern 7 Be it known that I, FREDERICK SIMMoNs,

of Webber street, Blackfriars Road, in thecounty of Surrey, England, have invented certain Improvements in Button-Hole Sewing- Machines, of which the'following is a spccifi 'means for imparting thereto three distinct motions with reference to the stitching mechanism, one motion being a reciprocating movement at right angles to the length of the buttonhole, and serving to so place the cloth that the needle will alternately enter it near one edge of the button-hole and pass between the edges in ord er to form the overseam. Another motion is similar in direction, but of about twice the extent of the first, and occurs when the ends of the button-hole are reciprocated under the needle, in order toform the bar which stren gthens said ends; and the third is a step-by-step motion at right angles to the first and second, continuing in one direction the length of the button-hole and then taking the reverse direction, the alternately reverse movements being on slightly separated but parallel lines. This last is the feed motion, and being on slightly separated lines the two edges of the buttonhole are caused to properly traverse the pathof the needle.

My invention consists, first, in the combination, with the stitching devices of a sewing.

machine, of a cloth-clamp secured to slides, by which it may be moved in directions at right angles to each other, a longitudinally-reciprocating bar secured to one of said slides, and mechanism for moving said bar to carry the cloth-clamp in reverse directions at right angles to the length of a button-hole, a rockin g shaft adjustably connected to the other of said slides, and mechanism for rocking said shaft to move the clamp ina direction parallel with the length of the button-hole, whereby the movement of the clamp may be adapted to button-holes of different lengths; second, the combination, with the cloth-clamp and. its

. slides, through which it is caused to move in sliding bar connected to one of said slides and means for reciprocating said bar lon gitudinall y, a saddlepiece projecting from said sliding bar and carrying a hook embracing a sliding cam, and mechanism for sliding and rocking said cam :for varyin g the reciprocations of said bar, as hereinafter more particularly described third, in the combination, with the reciprocating cloth-clamp and the sliding bar which moves the same and the rocking and sliding cam having an upward-projecting arm provided with a slotted projection, of a hook connected with said sliding barand embracing said cam and an adjustable pointed tongue secured to said bar and adapted to have its point inserted to a greater or less extent in the slot of the projection from the arm of the sliding cam, whereby the extent of the movement of said sliding bar may be regulated.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a sewing-machine provided with my improvement. Fig. 2 is a front side elevation of the machine with its hand-wheel and the cams for operating the stitching mechanismremoved. Fig. 3 is a section on line a; x of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a front end elevation of the machine. Fig. 5 is a rear side view of the cloth-clamp and its immediate connections. Fig. 6 is a top view of same. Fig. 7 is a view in detail of the connections between the devices for giving the overseamforming movements. Fig. Sis a detail view of the slidingcam, which will be hereinafter referred to. s Fig. .9 illustrates the needle and shuttle-arm operating cams of the machine to which my improvement is attached. Fig. 10 is a detached view of the cam-shaft of my improvement, showing a diametric section of the feed-wheel. Fig. 11 is a view at right angles to Fig. 10. Fig. 12 is a detached view of the cam-grooved wheel which imparts a rocking motion to the sliding cam shown in Fig. 8.

Fig. 13 shows detached views of the arm which communicates motion to the feed-shaft Fig. 14: is asection on line y y, Fig. 10, showing the internal construction of the feed-wheel.

. The letter Z indicates the goose-neckof asewing-machine; Z, the needle-operatinglever, and Z the vertically-reciprocatingneedle-bar, dovetailed or beveled at its edges, and moving in corresponding guides on the front side of the head of the goose-neck. On the rear side of the goose-neck are horizontal dovetail guides c c, in which moves a slide, 0. Rearwardly from this slide projects a flat arm, B, having its upper and lower edges beveled to fit a dovetailed slide, B. To an arm, f, which projects downward from the inner end of this slide B is secured the lower portion, A, of the clothclamp, which extends across the cloth-plate and throat-plate q of the machine. tion A is slotted longitudinally for the passage of the needle, the slots being of a size to accommodate the largest button-hole which can be stitched by the machine. To the slide B is secured, by ears 0 e, a vertical sleeve, a, standin g in front of the arm B, in which sleeve moves a rod, a, having at its lower end the laterallyprojecting bifurcated portion a, between the arms of which is swiveled the elongated concave clamping-piece A, the bottom of which is open or slotted from end to end. This clamping-piece A is adapted to fit in a corresponding recess, indicated by dotted lines, in the lower portion, A, of the cloth-clamp. The top of the rod a, which projects above the sleeve u, is provided with a head, at, having a proj ectin glu g, again st which plays the cam-sh aped end of alifting-arm, b. Asuitable spiral spring is arranged within the sleeve to to depress the rod a, after the manner of an ordinary presserbar. The cloth is to be placed between these two portions of the clamp, the slitted buttonhole occupying a central position with respect to the slots in the two parts, and the upper part, A, is firmly pressed upon the cloth by the spring which acts upon the rod a within the sleeve u.

The working parts of the machine, which communicate the requisite motions to the clothclamp, are attached to three shafts, one of which, F, is'the driving-shaft, the second, D, is a cam-shaft, and the third, E, is a rockingshaft.

A pinion, G, (Fig. 3, and shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2,) on the driving-shaft F gears into a toothed wheel, H, Figs. 1, 3, 10, 11, 12, mounted loosely on the cam-shaft D and in its inner flat face. This wheel has a cam-groove, J. A lever, I, fixed to the outer end of the shaft E, is provided with a stud, 'i, shown in dotted lines, which projects into the said groove J, and is thus caused to impart to the said rocking shaft E the rocking motion from whence it derives its name. Mounted upon the rocking shaft E in such a way that it must rock with said shaft, but can receive an independent endwise movement, is a sliding cam, K, Figs. 1 and 3. This sliding cam is provided with an upwardly-projectin g bent arm, K, the top or horizontal portion of which is provided with a slot, is, having upwardly-flaring end walls, between which fits loosely the lower pointed end of a vertically-adjustable tongue, L, secured to and moving in a guide, l, fixed upon the sliding bar M, and this arm K imparts, through the medium of the adjustable tongue L, an end wise-reciprocating motion to said sliding bar M, Figs. 1, 2, 3, 6, and 7, the- This porfront end of which is secured to the slide 0, which carries the respective parts of the clothclamp, said sliding bar M being attached to the slide 0 through an arm, m.

The tongue L is made pointed and vertically adjustable, and the end walls of the slot is flaring, for the purpose of regulating the length of the longitudinal reciprocations of the bar M, and consequently the length of the lateral reciprocations of the cloth-clamp. The

upper portion of the tongue L is bent at a right angle, and is slotted to embrace a screw, 1, between its head and a shoulder, Z, the lower portion of said screw being tapped in the top of guide I. 7

By means of this screw it will be seen that the tongue L may be raised or lowered, and its pointed end caused to extend more or less into the slot is, as desired.

The vertical portion of the tongue L is provided with a longitudinal slot, through. which a pin, Z projects from guide I, the screwthreaded tip of said screw being provided with a suitable nut, as shown, by which the tongue L is secured in position.

When the wide portion of the point of the tongue L is in the slot 70 the end walls of said slot will, of course, as the arm K vibrates, strike the tongue sooner than when only the narrower portion of the point is in the said slot, and consequently cause the tongue and the bar M to commence moving sooner and to make longer reciprocations, which are communicated to the cloth-clamp, and the lengths of the stitches formed are controlled by adjusting the screw 1 up or down. By this sliding bar M is communicated to the slide 0 and cloth-clamp the lateral reciprocations, which co-operate with the stitching devices to form the overseaming and end bars of the buttonhole. Th e reciprocating sliding bar M is caused to have the variable action necessary to com is fixed upon the cam-shaft D, and forms a part of the feeding mechanism. Upon the same shaft is loosely mounted a disk-wheel, 0 facing the wheel 0, and having its periphery rabbeted to receive the edge of flange 0, thus forming, in connection with wheel O, an inclosed box. In the periphery of the hub O are formed longitudinal grooves 0", in whichrest the tips of clutch-arms 0 These arms extend outward beyond, and have open slots 0 which embrace the inner flange, O, of the wheel 0. Spiral springs 0 connect the clutcharms 0 with the inner face of the wheel 0 An arm, Q, projects radially from the outer face of the wheel 0 and over the periphery of a cam, P, Figs: 1 and 3, on the drivingshaft F. A screw,d passing through said arm has its tip restin g against the lower part of the standard, in which shafts D and Fhave their bearings, and by means of this screw the distance of the arm from the cam may be regulated. A spring, 01 having one end attached to the end of arm Q and the other to the base of the machine, serves to hold the arm Q upon the cam.

Now, when the shaft F is rotated, the cam P will lift the arm Q,causing-wheel O to make a partial rotation, and the grooves in the hub of wheel 0 will cause the inner ends of the clutch-arms to move in the same direction, and the slotted portions of said arms to clutch the inner flange, 0", and draw forward the wheel 0, thus communicating a partial rotation tocam shaft D. A cam,1t,on the cam-shaft D imparts, through themedium of the cross-head 8 (one end of which is in the groove 1" and the other in a recess, 1',

of the sliding cam,) of a rocking lever, S, the 'endwise motion to the sliding cam K on the rocking shaft E, and so regulates the throw of the reciprocating sliding bar M, which is attached to the slide 0 of the cloth clamp, which gives the stitch or barring motion. For instance, while the cloth-clamp is traveling in the proper direction to carry the button-hole, so that the edge nearest the shafts will be stitched, the hook embraces the portion of sliding cam K havingthe protuberance 1, which prevents the bar M fromcarryeral reciprocation to form the bar at one endof the button-hole. When this bar iscompleted the cam R will have so turned that the cross-head s will be out of the bend or curve of the groove 1', and in a straight circumferential portion of said groove, causing the slidingcam to shift still .farther in the directiolr of arrow 1, causing the hook at to embrace that portion of the sliding cam having the protuberance 2, where it will remain until the opposite edge of the button-hole is stitched. When this edge is stitched another bend in groove r similar to and diametrically opposite the bend W will cause the cross-head to shift the sliding cam inward, or in a direction opposite to that indicated by arrow 1, and the hook it will again embrace the small part, 3, of the sliding cam until the other end of the button-hole is barred, as was the first. An-

other cam or endless screw, '1, the groove in which forms a regular right and left handed screw, is also fixed on the cam-shaft D. A short arm, U, furnished with a pin or stud, takes into the groove in the screw-cam T, and gives a rocking motion to a bar, V, at the other end of which is another short arm, 'W, Figs. 1, 2, 4, 5,.and 6, which is slotted and furnished with a thumb-screw, cl, and nut and runner c. This runner is placed between two guides, f f, on the slide B of the presser-toot, the runner being made adjustable by means of the nut, so that a buttonhole of any desired length may be indicated. An arm and handle, X, Figs. 3, 10, 11, is

keyed or fixed to the camshaft D, for the purpose of setting the cloth-clamp in any de sired position by turning the shaft D.

Having now set forth the nature of the said invention and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish'it to be unand the slides upon which it is caused to move in directions at right angles to each other, of

.the-sliding bar M andmeans for reciprocating the same longitudinally, saddle-piece N, carrying hook it, the sliding cam K, and mechanism for sliding and rocking said cam, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the 1011 gitudinallyreciprocating cloth-clamp, of the sliding bar M, tongue L, saddle-piece N, carrying hook a, sliding cam K, having arm K, slotted to.

receive said tongue, and the devices, substantially as described, for operating said sliding bar and cam, for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination, with the cloth-clamp and its slides, of the connected sliding bar M,

saddle-piece N, carrying hook it, the sliding cam K, the oscillating arm carrying crosshead 8, rotary cam It, rocking shaft V, adjustably connected to the cloth-clamp, the cam and intermediate connections communicating motionto said shaft, the stitching mechanism of a sewing-machine, and mechanism by which motion is communicated to all of said moving parts from a common prime motor, substantially as described.

Dated the 27th day of July, 1878.

FREDK. SIMMONS. Witnesses W. MANFIELD NEWTON, BARNABAS Enos. 

